Britain's hopes of climbing the medal table at the Beijing Olympics have been boosted by a report showing a total of 44 medals, including 13 golds, were won in Olympic events at world championships and equivalent competitions last year.

Team GB retained seventh place in the table, marginally behind Australia and France - two countries they are planning to overhaul by 2012 as the British Olympic Association targets fourth place at the London Games.

A British Olympic Association review published on Monday states seventh place was the same as in 2006, when just 30 medals were won in global Olympic disciplines, of which nine were gold.

BOA chief executive Simon Clegg said: "2007 has been a really encouraging year for British sport.

"The journey to 2012 is moving in the right direction. Although Beijing stands alone, it is also a stepping stone to 2012."

Clegg also was cheered by the fact 62 athletes finished between fourth and eighth place in Olympic sports in major events in 2007.

BOA chairman Lord Moynihan praised three sports in particular for their "Formula One professionalism", noting their "huge" strength in depth at the elite level.

These were: cycling, in which five titles were won in Olympic events, as well as three other medals; rowing, where the world championships in Munich produced two golds and five bronze medals; and sailing, with two gold and four bronzes.

The BOA has yet to set a target for the 2008 Olympics but they know that if they are to improve on 10th place in the medal table at the Athens Games, they will need certain sports to step up to the plate.

These include: boxing, in which four Britons have already qualified for the Games; judo, which was a regular medal-winning sport for Britain between 1972 and 1992; triathlon, in which performances at world championships have yet to be duplicated at the Games; and possibly taekwondo and table tennis.

Clegg said that, so far, 132 competitors had qualified places for Beijing but it is expected the team's complement will eventually be about 280.

It will cost £3million to send the team to China and a further £1million for the 'holding camp' before the Games in Macao.

Sporting Life / Eurosport